2014 Goal-Setting and Vision Board

This week I committed to working on two small goals:  1) set my goals for 2014 and 2) carry water with me where ever I go.

I was successful with the water, in part because I usually do this anyway.  I just needed a post-holiday boost to get me back in the swing of the habit.  I added things like cucumber and lemon to my water to make it more flavorful.

For my goals, I did a couple of things.  I updated my vision board and made a list of things I want to do more of in the coming year.  If you aren't sure what a vision board (or dream board) is, they are easy to create.  I try to look at mine often, particularly in low moments, so I can keep my goals top-of -mind.  Go here to create your own.

Here's my 2014 vision board:



It's similar to last year's, but I updated a few things.  I'll be attending a course at the Mayo Clinic about Wellness Coaching this year, so I incorporated that.  Also, one of the things I accomplished from last year's board is moving to a larger city/urban area.  At the time, I envisioned Phoenix or Chicago.  But, I ended up staying in Minnesota - just moving from the suburbs to the city.  So, I incorporated photos taken near my home such as trails and the Mississippi River that I plan to take advantage of this summer.  And, that is a picture of my actual pool/hot tub at my new home, so I need to be bathing suit ready to take advantage of that as well! 

I'm still focused on eating healthy, so I incorporated a picture of the farmer's market near my home and demonstrated my focus on WATER!  And, I'd like to continue working on lifting heavy, practicing piano and creative writing in my free time.  Lastly, I always like to travel, especially finding a warm sanction during the long winter.  This year I'll be traveling to Fort Myers, FL and I've never been.  Here's my 2013 board for comparison:



Happy 2014!

Small habit changes over time - 12-week challenge

I spent a lot of time/energy/money trying to follow strict diet plans in the past - really for the majority of my 20's.  I failed every time.  The problem was that I tried to change everything in one day (which is obvious to me now).  Looking back, I really don't know why I thought I could just change all of my bad habits overnight.  Like that.  BOOM!  A brand new person.

And, even worse, why was I so damn hard on myself when I failed each time?

What was I thinking?

I finally realized that I really needed to change my unhealthy ways, but it was so overwhelming.  My weight was at an all-time high.  I was about to move up into the next clothing size.  I was horrified when I saw photos of myself.  I needed to do something.  So, I started out slowly by giving up soda.  That was all I focused on for a whole month - just don't drink soda!  I didn't change anything else.  The next month I started doing Pilates.  My first workout I only made it 10 minutes and then I worked my way up from there.

When I would get one new habit down comfortably, I added on another.  Soon, I was eating better, tracking food, working out almost every day and I gave up soda and fast food.  I didn't get down on myself for a bad moment or bad day - or even a bad week.  I just shook it off and tried to re-focus on the new habits I wanted to create.  It wasn't a diet anymore - it was a lifestyle.

I know it can be difficult to start and re-start over and over.  I've created a spreadsheet for a 12-week challenge to creating new habits slowly and successfully.  Choose from a list of habit changes and make that your focus.  I've created the template to allow for two new habit changes each week, but you can dial it back or bump it up - whatever works for you.  If you decide to do this exercise, please keep me posted on  your progress!

You can find the spreadsheet here so you can get started (maybe tomorrow!?).  I'm going to start tomorrow.  I've picked out my 24 habits, but I'm not quite sure of the order yet.  Some are new for me and some are ones I just need to brush up on.  The ones I didn't choose, I've either conquered already or I'm saving them for after the first 12-weeks!  Here's my start:

Save time - Stay Healthy

Our days are so busy.  It’s difficult enough just to get yourself (and perhaps your family) out the door in the morning and through the day.  Adding a desire to eat right and exercise on top of it – it can be nearly impossible to fit everything in your day.  That’s why I have a love-hate relationship with my lifestyle.  

I love:

• Eating healthy foods that don’t make me feel sick
• Lifting weights and walking/biking everywhere
• Always having something to wear because clothes fit!
• Feeling awesome 

 I hate:

• Food prep
• Getting bored with food (because I’m bad at food ideas/cooking!)
• The “yes, I’m going” – “no, I’ll skip it” workout conversation in my head.
• Doing more, but seeing less results
• The time suck that is: planning 5+ meals for 7 days each week, grocery list/shopping (because you can’t get everything at just one store!), cooking, packing lunches/snacks, logging food intake, prepping workouts and actually getting my ass to the gym to execute them, etc.
• Feeling guilty when I indulge or deprived when I don’t – where is the happy medium?

Are you with me?  I’m always looking for ways to keep changing my meals and workouts, while keeping the time suck to a minimum.  It’s the only way I’ll have a chance to stay motivated and stick to clean eating and activities.  Here are some time savers I’ve found and feel free to share yours!

--I quit the treadmill (for the most part) and the elliptical – If I’m on the treadmill, it’s because I’m training for a race and I can’t run outdoors.  Or, because I am doing a 15-20 minute HIIT workout.  But, going at a constant pace on either of these machines for a long period of time doesn’t burn nearly the calories you think it does and does nothing for your muscles.  This leads into:

--Short, high intensity workouts – this goes for both cardio and lifting weights.  Personally, I’m partial to the benefits and results of lifting versus cardio.  If you lift, lift heavy – meaning heavier than you think you can lift and limit rest periods.  Unless you’re training for an event, there’s no need to run at a constant pace.  Do hill sprints or an HIIT workout on the treadmill.  You’ll see much better results than if you were to lift or run for an hour at a comfy pace.  And, quit looking at your phone/book/TV.  Focus hard for 20-30 minutes and get it done!

--If you’re like me, you eat similar foods every day.  Take an hour on the weekend to prepare all of your meals and snacks for the upcoming week.  Bake chicken or fish, use your crockpot to cook turkey chili, boil eggs, wash and cut fruits and veggies, cook several servings of brown rice or quinoa, etc.  Get them into separate containers and have everything readily available for the whole week.  Then, you don’t have to spend the time and you don’t have an excuse to blow off eating healthy – it’s already cooked!

--Keep your calendar handy so you can mark appointments to complete your workouts and food logs.  I set reminders and appointments on my smartphone to help hold myself accountable to go to the gym, log food, weigh-in and take my measurements.  Staying organized helps to keep the time spend to a minimum and it helps to have your goals in writing.

What are your time-saving tips?

Weight loss and toxicity

Yesterday I attended a wellness seminar led by former Ms. Fitness Bikini Minnesota.  She is very passionate speaker with a great story to share, so I really enjoyed it.  I wanted to share with you some random tidbits that she talked about.

The background is that she was always health-conscious and in shape.  But, she gained 25 pounds in two months with no explanation.  After going to several doctors, they discovered she was living in black mold.  Then, she began her research and promotion of cell detox to boost metabolism.

• When you are ill, you are typically encouraged to find the treatment for symptoms.  Instead, find the cause of the symptoms and cure them through good health.
• 1/3 of children born after 2000 will not live as long as their parents did due to preventable diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes.
• She got her 9-year-old daughter to give up on succumbing to fast food marketing to kids by proving to her that real food molds quickly, while a McDonald's Happy Meal will never mold. (Gross!)
• Eat foods that don't come with labels!  If they do come with labels, read what you are eating first.  
• Eat anti-inflammatory foods like broccoli, sweet potatoes and green tea so you avoid insulin/glucose spikes.
• Avoid hydrogenated oil (trans fats) and sugar.  
• Cook with coconut oil.
• Cooking food in the microwave can deplete nutrients. 
• Living in Minnesota is more toxic than living in California smog because we rarely open windows, etc. Items in our home such as fragrances (ie: Glade plug-ins), cleaning products and beauty products expose us to hundreds of toxins.
• Your body will only burn fat or only burn sugar - not both at the same time.  Avoid sugar (or things that turn to sugar immediately like white bread) to promote fat burning and reduce food cravings.

Good reminders, right?  At the end of the seminar, she was selling a shake system, which I did not purchase.  I can't tell you whether it's good or bad, so I won't comment either way.  It could be a good system, but personally I just prefer to buy fresh foods.  I am all for trying to reduce putting unhealthy foods in your body and cleaning up your environment to stay healthy.  But, I'm also of the mind that we all have a shelf life no matter what we do to try to slow that down - and we don't know what that shelf life is going to be.  We all have to make the decision for ourselves how much we want to work to preserve that.  Always remember to follow the system that works for you and your family.

Check out photos from my workout yesterday

I documented my workout yesterday here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151582648429184.1073741827.98166194183&type=1

I've been doing a split workout and lifting heavy over the winter.  Now that spring is (eventually) coming to Minneapolis, I'll be running more (for enjoyment) and switching to a stamina workout:  less weight, more reps.

A love-hate relationship with sitting

There's nothing more I love doing after a busy day than sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea (or sometimes wine!) and indulging in some reality TV.  It's my "reward" for spending a long day at work, fitting in a workout, preparing healthy meals, and completing errands and chores.

But, during the day, I work at a computer and sit in meetings.  I do my best to get up from my desk often and try to fit in short walks during the day because I know how unhealthy it is to sit for such an extended time period.  I have this article hanging up at my desk so I remember to keep moving throughout the day.

I would like to do more during the day to keep moving and de-stress.  So, I made up the chart below with stretches I can do at my desk.  I'm going to do my best to go through the routine every morning and afternoon.

If you are stuck at a desk all day like me, give this a try.

• Stretch often
• Stand when you talk on the phone
• Get up at least once per hour
• Plan walking meetings if you can
• Move move move!

Touch the sky	Reach your arms up to the sky and as far back as you can safely go.
Side stretch	While standing reach your one arm overhead and to the opposite side.  Keep the other hand on your hip.
Toe touch	Bend at the hip and reach for your toes.
Wrist/ankle circles	Make circles with your wrists and ankles. Rotate in both directions. Also with each hand alternate making fists and opening your hand wide. Do this back and forth a few times.
Neck circles	Slowly stretch forward and back, side to side, round in circles, and twist to look over each shoulder.
Arm stretch	Extend one arm out straight in front of you. With the other hand, grab the elbow of the outstretched arm and pull it across your chest, stretching your shoulder and upper back muscles.
Arm circles	While standing, rotate each arm around in big circles both forward and backward.
Seated twist	First sit up straight. Twist in your chair keeping your hips stationary. Twist all the way from lower back all the way up to your head looking over your shoulder.
Quad stretch	Stand on one leg and stretch out your quadricep muscle.  Bend your knee and pull your foot toward you.
Hip stretch	Sitting in your chair cross one leg over the other so that ankle rests just above the knee. Lean forward to feel a stretch in your hips.
Shoulder shrugs	1.      Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them high up to your ears. Hold. Release and drop. Repeat three times. 2.      Shake your head slowly, yes and no.
Leg extensions	Grab the seat of your chair to brace yourself and extend your legs straight out in front of you so they are parallel to the floor.  Flex and point your toes five times.
Leg hug	Sit on the edge of your chair (if it has wheels, wedge the chair against the desk or wall to make sure it does not roll). Put your feet together, flat on the floor.  Lean over, chest to knees, letting your arms dangle loosely to the floor. Release your neck. Bring your hands behind your legs, right hand grasping left wrist, forearm, left hand grasping the right.  Release your hands to the floor again and repeat three times.

Don't Give Up...Don't Look Back

It seems like weight comes on quickly, but takes forever to get off.  It's even tougher for me than it used to be when I first started my weight loss "project" in 2005.  I'm not getting any younger!  ;)  The things that used to work to get the weight off don't work as well anymore.

Most of the time, I'm very motivated to eat healthy and keep working out, but as you know, some days are tougher than others.  Some days you feel like you are missing out on things.  Some days you get tired of calorie counting.  Some days you don't feel like worrying about health or weight anymore.

Then, there are excuses, like the fact that I'm living in this miserable climate...

...and after I spent the last month food journaling religiously, eating clean the majority of the time, working out regularly, and giving up alcohol, I GAINED four pounds.  Really?!

My goals seem more and more difficult to reach every day - and even when I do reach them, I'm not going to look like I did when I was 18, right?  So, what keeps you going during these bad plateaus and blue times?

I can't give up.  Yesterday, I really wanted to give up.  I wanted to eat a junk food lunch, skip the gym, then grab a pizza and a bottle of wine for dinner.  But, I didn't.  We ordered food for a lunch meeting at work, where I could've easily eaten something terrible, but I ate a clean 294 calorie lunch and fruit later.  I went to the gym, not the liquor store.  We made scallops and mashed cauliflower for dinner, not pizza.  

I pushed through a tough day because I'm looking forward.  This is backwards and I'm not going there again!

• I used my support system: I vented my weight gain to two of my friends who are also trying to lose weight.  Then, my husband encouraged me to go to the gym and pushed me HARD when I was there.
• I re-visited my goals:  This is what I want.  I'm not sure when I will get it all, but I have to keep working toward it.
• I remembered: Every day is a new day!